Richard Swaim, Sr.

Richard Lee "Red" Swaim Sr.

SILVER LAKE - Richard "Red" Lee Swaim Sr., 76, Silver Lake, died Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004, in the emergency room of a Topeka hospital. He was born Sept. 26, 1927, in Martin City, Mo., the son of Alfred D. and Sophia M. Kelsey Swaim. He lived most of his life in Silver Lake. Mr. Swaim worked for Rock Island Motor Transit for 27 years and retired from Lawrence Freight Line in 1982. He was an Army veteran of the Korean War. Mr. Swaim was a member of First Baptist Church of Silver Lake and Teamster Local No. 696. He married Helen Maxine Flory on Sept. 26, 1952, in Topeka. She died June 28, 1992. He also was preceded in death by a brother, Clifford Swaim. Survivors include four sons, Richard L. Swaim Jr. and Brian D. Swaim, both of Silver Lake, Kenneth W. Swaim, Moweaqua, Ill., and Larry D. Swaim, Delia; a daughter, Carolyn M. Griffith, Ozawkie; a sister, Alice Lewis, Lawrence; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Penwell-Gabel Parker-Price Chapel in Topeka. Burial with military graveside honors conducted by an Army detail from Fort Riley will be in Walnut Hill Cemetery at Grove in Shawnee County. Mr. Swaim will lie in state at Penwell-Gabel Parker-Price Chapel after 3 p.m. today, where the family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be mad e to First Baptist Church of Silver Lake, P.O. Box 387, Silver Lake, Kan., 66539. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.penwellgabel.com .